Other things we reuse:
~I'm making tote bags out of plastic grocery bags (even though I use my reusable bags at most stores, I still have about a gazillion plastic bags around. I think they sneak into my house at night and then multiply in the hall closet.)

can someone explain this to me... slowly and in child-like directions thanks so much

Interesting that so many people reuse their glass jars. I am finding it increasingly difficult to even find products in glass - everything seems to be sold only in plastic now.

I find more glass at the organic and health food markets than at the big grocery store, but there are still ones out there:

Salsa is almost always in jars (though we buy this very infrequently since we usually make our own.)
Smuckers has a natural and an organic PB in glass.
Classico pasta sauces come in canning jars, and generally have decent ingredients.
Lots of spices come in glass.
Olives and pickles often are in glass.
Soy sauce is usually in glass. These bottles are great for bottling flavored vinegars - and even make great gifts!
Maple syrup comes in glass bottles usually; we have used them for bottling home made vanilla and the like.

I will pay a bit extra for something in a glass container that I will reuse.

Blessed One, you ARE doing well! What is it you use plastic wrap for? I don't use it at all, so maybe I can help think of alternatives.

I use plastic wrap to cover food in the fridge.....we do not have a lot of cabinet room to have a lot of reusable containers.....so I just cover whatever it was originally on with plastic wrap....and it means less dishes for me...lol

There was a similar thread on here a couple days ago, hate to repeat myself, but I bring my glass jars to the farmer's market (after running trough dishwasher). The people who sell flowers from their garden and wildflowers use them to put cut flowers in (since they let people take them home that way so they don't die).

I save the jam jars I finish throughout the year and then use them at Christmas time. I make spiced nuts and give them to people in these jars. I hotglue on a pretty piece of fabric to the lid and a small bow. Also use them for drinking glasses and water for kids painting. Don't know why I never thought to use them for leftovers -- duh! -- great idea

I use plastic wrap to cover food in the fridge.....we do not have a lot of cabinet room to have a lot of reusable containers.....so I just cover whatever it was originally on with plastic wrap....and it means less dishes for me...lol

Most things in our fridge get stored in a cereal bowl with a small plate on top. A lot of the time I don't bother covering stuff though, it reminds me to use it up if I can see it

I also use foil to cover some things, it can be wiped and reused a couple of times then recycled.

Finally we discovered that the plastic tops from pringles cans fit perfectly onto our IKEA glasses, so now we store things in those too.

Most things in our fridge get stored in a cereal bowl with a small plate on top. A lot of the time I don't bother covering stuff though, it reminds me to use it up if I can see it

I also use foil to cover some things, it can be wiped and reused a couple of times then recycled.

Finally we discovered that the plastic tops from pringles cans fit perfectly onto our IKEA glasses, so now we store things in those too.

if I do not cover it....then it will likely be trash anyway because everyone in my house is so picky....

the plate idea is nice....although my plates would not work that way for the most part.......also it sounds like an accident waiting to happen with my kids.
I like syran because I can see through it. I purposely do not use foil because I was told that it can not be recycled. Although I will admit I used to stuff it inside my aluminum cans and then crush them....lol. But just taking it to the recycler....I do not think they take it around here.

As an art teacher, i put on the 'supply list' at the beginning for the year for families with children who use glass baby jars and need a place for them to go, to bring them to the art room. We use them as paint jars and water jars for rinsing brushes and a myrid of other crazy things.

If you can't find a use...you might check with your local school to donate to the art dept.

yes that is a great idea.
our school has a "recycling room", in which I give stuff that I can not recycle anywhere else.

I've switched almost everything paper to cloth except for tp and I am working us towards a family cloth. I currently use tp rolls in the garden - whever I plant seeds I bury a tp roll with just the top out of the ground and plant seeds in it too that way I have a sample plant for seedling identification.

I've also used tp rolls to make holiday crackers.

I started to punch plant names into tin can lids for plant ids but didn't get too far - it needs to be a winter project that I complete before spring.

My in-laws do fast food and carryout and the containers are great for wintersown seedlings.

I use juice concentrate lids for beautiful decorated ornaments (and collages like these memory collages - although there isn't a photo here)

Vinegar jugs get holes drilled in the bottom and the buried next to tomatoes for a root watering system (however it has been so wet this year I haven't done it yet).

Yogurt containers get used for just about everything (in the winter I freeze water (by sticking them out on the deck) in them and give them to my children to play with as bath-tub toys - ice is the best bath-tub toy - they fight over it).

I reuse plastic baggies.

I try to reuse foil although I find it difficult and am trying to eliminate my use of foil.

I love egg cartons - they make awesome paper mache right now I am making a three foot tall paper mache cross.

I make my own fabric gift bags for Christmas which the whole family (my MIL saves them and gives them back to me) reuses. I also have started decorating oatmeal and cornmeal containers for cool boxes and have plans to decorate a nice sturdy shoebox I recently got my hands on.

I've made teddy bears for my children from an old coat of my grandfather.

I keep my eggshells, tea leaves, and scraps for composting in the garden (eggshells crushed fine and put around tomatoes deter cutworms and prevent blossom end rot).

I craft with old clothes, make rags from old clothes, and recently read here to bury unusable (natural) fabrics in the garden and am going to do some of that soon.

Old bread can be used to make your own bread crumbs.

I use the back of all my printer paper before recycling it. My hubby brings home one-sided paper from work so I don't have to buy paper. I also look in junk mail that has letters (such as home loans and insurance) and often find one-sided paper.

I save envelopes from junk mail to make shopping lists and put the coupons that go with the list inside the envelope.

I reuse shipping envelopes.

I love to turn boxes inside out so that I can use them for shipping purposes without having to wrap them in paper (I think I describe how I do it in this article).

I recently trash-picked the ornate metal hinged corners from one of those cheap gazebos that Target sells. I am going to use them to make tomato supports.

Re-using old things is a family trait - a peachpit key chain from my maternal great-grandfather.
I come from generations of quilters - I recognize many of the pieces of fabric in this quilt.

I'm sure I could think of more things. I have only been here a short while and some of my reasons for frugal natural living have more to do with the equitable distribution of the earth's resources more than saving the earth or even my own personal health but I have to say - I love this site and all the awesome ideas I find here.

I also want to say that I apologize for linking to so many of my articles in this thread but I have a passion for reusing and it seems easier to do it this way.

glass jars =storage containers for leftovers, packaging for food related gifts(I did spiced nuts in jars this year), storage for dried beans, rice, etc.
cardboard egg cartons= starting pots for the garden, paint trays, bead trays, shedded up for worms(when I finally start a worm bucket)
Plastic milk jugs=watering cans, dog food scoops, water toys, shell buckets for the beach, picnic blanket weights( filled with water or sand)
There are SO many things you can do with reused stuff!